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Meet the Team

PHOTO: OCEAN IMAGE BANK/GREGORY PIPER

OVAI is led by an interdisciplinary team from MBARI, Ocean Discovery League, CeNCOOS, CVision AI, and Purdue University.

LEADERSHIP

Kakani Katija
Kakani Katija

Principal Investigator

Principal Engineer

MBARI

Benjamin Woodward
Benjamin Woodward

Co-Principal Investigator

Co-Founder & CEO

CVIsion AI, Inc.

Henry Ruhl
Henry Ruhl

Co-Principal Investigator

Director

CeNCOOS

Katy Croff Bell
Katy Croff Bell

Co-Principal Investigator

Founder & President

Ocean Discovery League

Angus Forbes
Angus Forbes

Co-Principal Investigator

Associate Professor

Purdue University

PROGRAM STAFF

Lilli Wakinekona Carlsen
Lilli Wakinekona Carlsen

Engagement Coordinator

Ocean Vision AI/MBARI

Laura Chrobak
Laura Chrobak

MLOps Research Engineer

Ocean Vision AI/MBARI

Issie Corvi
Issie Corvi

Program Manager

Ocean Vision AI/MBARI

Emily Clark
Emily Clark

Content Manager

Ocean Vision AI/MBARI

CONTRIBUTORS

Eric Orenstein
Eric Orenstein

FathomNet Co-Lead

Research Engineer

MBARI

Kevin Barnard
Kevin Barnard

FathomNet Co-Lead

Software Engineer

MBARI

Susan Poulton
Susan Poulton

Portal Lead

VP of Strategy & Communications

Ocean Discovery League

Tapas Dwivedi
Tapas Dwivedi

Portal Product Manager

Ocean Discovery League

Giovanna Sainz
Giovanna Sainz

Research Assistant

MBARI

Gautam Shah
Gautam Shah

Founder

Internet of Elephants

Katherine Parker
Katherine Parker

Graphic Designer

Independent contractor

Mark Taipan
Mark Taipan

Software Engineer

CVision AI, Inc.

Genevieve Patterson
Genevieve Patterson

Computer Vision & HCI Researcher

Barderry Consulting

Henrique Campos
Henrique Campos

Developer

&Ranj Serious Games

Brian Kennedy
Brian Kennedy

Chief Scientist

Ocean Discovery League

Cindy Hanrahan
Cindy Hanrahan

R&D Administrator

MBARI

Nancy Gupton
Nancy Gupton

Writer

Independent contractor

Paul Rogers
Paul Rogers

Software Engineer

Dingo Sky, LLC

Jonathan Takahasi
Jonathan Takahasi

Co-Founder & COO

CVision AI, Inc.

Peter Nauta
Peter Nauta

Game Designer

&Ranj Serious Games

GAF van Baalen
GAF van Baalen

Co-Owner & Game Director

&Ranj Serious Games

Emily Simpson
Emily Simpson

Content Strategist

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Carlos Rueda
Carlos Rueda

Senior Software Engineer

MBARI

Kurtis Wothe
Kurtis Wothe

Motion Designer

Independent contractor

Vidhi Patel
Vidhi Patel

Software Engineering Coop

CVision AI, Inc.

Erin Butler
Erin Butler

Front-end Software Engineer

CVision AI, Inc.

Michaël Bas
Michaël Bas

Founder

&Ranj Serious Games

Ellemieke Berings
Ellemieke Berings

Project Manager

&Ranj Serious Games

Joost Daniels
Joost Daniels

Research Engineer

MBARI

Brian Schlining
Brian Schlining

Senior Software Engineer

MBARI

Kelly Lance
Kelly Lance

Graphic Designer

Independent contractor

Qianwei Yin
Qianwei Yin

Software Engineering Coop

CVision AI, Inc.

Brian Tate
Brian Tate

CTO

CVision AI, Inc.

Meggy Pepelanova
Meggy Pepelanova

Game Designer

&Ranj Serious Games

COLLABORATORS

Steven Brumby, Impact Observatory
Alexander Moen, National Geographic Society
Megan Cromwell, NOAA-NOS
Jenny de la Hoz, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Dana Allen-Greil, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Jyotika Virmani, Schmidt Ocean Institute
Alan Gershenfeld, E-Line Media
Karen Osborn, Smithsonian Institute

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Vineeth Balasubramian, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad
Sara Beery, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Tanya Berger Wolf, The Ohio State University, Wild Me
Elva Escobar, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Judith Gobin, University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago
Tammy Horton, World Register of Marine Species
Nuno Lourenco, +Atlantic CoLAB
Hassan Moustahfid, NOAA/IOOS
Jyotika Virmani, Schmidt Ocean Institute
Stefan Williams, The University of Sydney
Grace Young, Tidal (Google X)

ENTHUSIASTS WORKING GROUP

Dan Kimura, Livestream Oceanographic

Davina Gifford, Livestream Oceanographic

Linda Ianniello, Blackwater Diving Group

Kristen Crossett, NOAA-OER

Emily Simpson, Monterey Bay Aquarium

Alison Fundis, Ocean Exploration Trust

Logan Mock, Schmidt Ocean Institute

Thom Linley, Armatus Oceanic (Deep Sea Podcast)

Meghan Paulson, Ocean Networks Canada

MARINE SCIENTISTS 
WORKING GROUP

Dhugal Lindsay, JAMSTEC
Kerry Howell, University of Plymouth
Brian Kennedy, NOAA
Heidi Sosik, WHOI
Jean-Olivier Irisson, Sorbonne Université
Jessica Luo, NOAA-GFDL
Rainer Kiko, GEOMAR
Catherine Borremans, Ifremer
Elva Escobar, UNAM
Franzis Althaus, CSIRO, Hobart
Candice Untiedt, CSIRO

PROGRAMMERS WORKING GROUP

Blair Thornton, Univ. Southampton

Corinne Bassin, Schmidt Ocean Institute

Chris Jackett, CSIRO

Dan Buscombe, USGS

Kevin Koeser, GEOMAR

Ariell Friedman, Grey Bits

Jacquomo Monk, Univ. Tasmania

Jordan Pierce, NOAA

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